30 Days of SenshiShitennou
by KirielAmbar
Summary: They had normal days, sometimes, after years of fighting and before the challenge of building Crystal Tokyo. For a while they had part-time jobs, classes, run-ins with traffic cops, and looking back on it all, they would say that they would do it a million times.
1. Clever: Holding Hands

I do not own Sailor Moon in any way, shape or form.

These drabbles are to get me used to writing the Shitennou before I get back to the longer story I want to write for them. I'll switch back and forth between pairings, so I've devised a labeling system for them. Clever = Mercury/Zoisite, Leader = Venus/Kunzite, Airplane = Mars/Jadeite, and Strength = Jupiter/Nephrite.

Enjoy!

* * *

Ami knew the moment he materialized on Earth, Mamoru having gained enough power over the Golden Crystal to bring back his friends and advisors, covered in snow and shivering outside the future-King's apartment. Days earlier Mamoru had called Ami, slow and cautious in his explanation, and asked if she would like to be there when Zoisite emerged from that realm of timelessness to which Beryl had tied his spirit. Only a little surprised, Ami thought for a long stretch of minutes. She appreciated the offer, as they had been close during the old kingdom, but she wondered if they would have changed too much to enjoy each other's company. Curiously, Ami held no contempt for his actions in recent years. She had seen too many friends trapped by enemies to hold servitude against someone, not to mention Mamoru's personal and trusted knowledge of the situation.

"Thank you," she said, sighing softly, "but I don't think my presence is necessary."

She heard Mamoru readjust the phone against his ear. He wouldn't try to convince her; their decision-making processes were similar enough.

"Alright then. I'll just let him know that you're doing well."

Ami nodded and hung up with a small "Thank you."

For the next couple of days Ami's concentration left something to be desired, but eventually she almost forgot the upcoming resurrection. Then in the middle of an experiment on cellular degeneration she felt a refreshing chill pass by her right ear, and she knew. Quietly, she packed up her materials, hung up her lab coat, and left.

By the time she reached Mamoru's apartment she couldn't tell the difference between the chill and the temperature of the Winter afternoon. They must have noticed she arrived, because Usagi flung open the door and gathered Ami up in a warm blanket. From somewhere in the apartment, Mamoru sighed.

"Usako, Ami didn't resurrect, I'm sure she's wearing proper clothing."

Rolling her eyes and ushering Ami in, Usagi closed the door.

"Hush, Mamo. I'm being the emotional support." She glanced pointedly at him. "I know what its like, after all."

Ami let out a breathy laugh as Usagi tucked the blanket securely around her and removed her boots.

"Usagi," she said, smiling, "I don't think its quite like it was for you. We were-"

She stopped as Usagi stepped out of her line of sight to reveal a somewhat bedraggled-looking boy, in clothes at least a size too big for him, drying the tips of his hair. He looked up, blinking a couple of times before recognition set in, and bowed quickly.

"Lady Mercury."

On instinct, Ami stepped forward and held out her hand. "You look like you did back then," she murmured, as Zoisite's lips brushed lightly against her fingers.

"Yes," he said, shoulders dropping slightly, "Restoring me to my original form meant restoring me to the age I was when I pledged myself to the Crown. So now I have to pretend to be a high school student for a year and I'm terribly sorry."

Ami laughed.

"Why are you apologizing? I'm just glad you're here."

She hadn't really meant to say "here", maybe "healthy" or something along those lines, but she guessed that Zoisite hadn't meant to still be holding her hand either.


	2. Strength: Cuddling Somewhere

While Mamoru typically kept the resurrections of the generals on a need-to-know basis, everyone knew when Nephrite's turn came up. Makoto started baking like the world was ending and everyone's survival depended on Raspberry Pistachio Muffins. Even Usagi, not one to complain about extra sweets or emotional reactions, considered intervening. In the end it was Minako who pounded on Makoto's door and dragged her out into the street, throwing the stained apron on the hallway floor and declaring that "Only shopping can save you now!"

Forty-five minutes later found Makoto standing helpless in the middle of a department store as Minako piled her arms with clothes.

"Mina, I don't think-" she began, as a flimsy blouse found its way into the pile.

"Girl, don't even start. If I have to hear one more time how hard it is to find things that fit when you're tall and have big boobs, I am going to slap you."

"That's not what I meant."

Minako turned to her with a sigh. "Then what? We've been trying to get you out of your kitchen for almost a week. What is _up? _Don't tell me some guy is getting you this worked up."

"You know its not just some guy!"

Several customers turned to look disapprovingly as Makoto threw clothes down into the return bin and stomped out towards the parking lot. Minako ran after her, hair flapping angrily. She caught up to her just as Makoto was reaching the street, grabbing her arm and spinning the taller girl around.

"Cut it out! Look, we all know this is weird, trust me, we do, but you can't hide!"

A long moment passed as Makoto's face changed from frustrated to worried, and she sagged slightly against Minako's arm.

"Mina, I've been looking for him. Every time, I was hoping it was him, but what if I've built up this image that isn't real? What if there is no 'old boyfriend?'"

"Oh, babe..." Minako reached up to brush the bangs out of Makoto's eyes. "That's the dilemma of all lovers. We have such a high standard, and the ones who are worth it make it worse with the flowers and the sappy texts, but that's just half of knowing someone. You know what's better than perfection?"

Makoto smiled as Aphrodite slipped easily into her role. "What?"

"That someone so flawed, so normal, would become so amazing because we love them."

It was around nine PM before Makoto finished cleaning up after her wayward cooking. She packed three dozen cookies, two dozen muffins, and a couple pies, and vowed to donate them to the Arcade as soon as she could. A little smile and a roll of her shoulder was all that accompanied the warm jolt she felt at 9:37, and when the cell phone on her counter vibrated a little over an hour later, she knew who it would be.

CM: Is this Makoto?  
MK: Yes it is.  
CM: I'm borrowing Endymion's phone. Can I come say hi? Or is it too late?  
MK: I was just about to watch a movie. Join me?  
CM: I'll be over soon.  
MK: I'll be watching you, so no yawn and stretch. :P  
CM: I just asked Endymion what that meant. No promises.

(While I was writing this Savage Garden's "I Think I Loved You Before I Met You" and Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet" started playing. Real Talk.)


	3. Strength: GamingWatching a Movie

Rain had started steadily pounding against the building by the time Nephrite reached Makoto's apartment. At the sound of knocking, Makoto quickly finished setting out popcorn and tea, jogged to the front door and with a steadying breath, opened it.

Nephrite stood there, shaking the rain off, and looking more than a little out of place. He didn't even notice the door had opened until Makoto laughed loudly and motioned him in.

"Come on, take that jacket off and let me hang it up."

He sputtered something that may have been a 'hello' and followed Makoto into the hall. She spun him around to remove the soaked trench coat, hurrying it into the bathroom to hang up in the shower.

"Hey," she called, "Make yourself comfortable, OK?"

When Makoto returned, Nephrite was sitting somewhat awkwardly on the couch with the bowl of popcorn in his lap looking for all the world like he wanted to inhale it in one mouthful.

"Woah there, you'd think you hadn't eaten in two thousand years."

"I uh..."

The bowl nearly fell over as Nephrite tried to stand up, but a hand pushed him back on to the couch and reached over to turn the TV on.

After a moment, he glanced over at Makoto, who was slouched back on one of the cushions flipping through the channels.

"I've never watched a movie before," he said, watching as she folded her legs up under herself and settled in.

"Wait, what?" Makoto turned to him, eyes wide. "But you were-"

Nephrite shook his head.

"I don't remember most of that. My clearest memories are of Eurig, and Endymion, and you. It was political, it wasn't supposed to be... Beryl." He looked down, placing the bowl back on the low wood table. "It doesn't seem fair, does it?"

Wrapping her arms around one of the couch pillows, Makoto sighed.

"I thought about being mad. I really did. But I'm tired of losing friends to the other side, you know?"

Nodding, Nephrite fixed his gaze on the TV, muted now and displaying some news story about the weather in Canada.

"I should have been here," he said quietly, "Helping you fight. I can't believe you've been doing this alone."

Makoto laughed lightly and punched his arm.

"Who said anything about alone? I have friends, you know."

She stretched her arms above her head with a childish grin.

"Besides, I've gotten stronger, and taller!"

With that, Makoto stood, grabbed Nephrite's hand and pulled him up.

"You're a little taller, I guess," he said, voice clearing. "Still a shrimp to me though."

Sticking her tongue out, Makoto turned on her heel.

"Come on, I promised you a movie, and your first one needs to be in an epic theater. Lets go!"

Nephrite smiled as he let her drag him out of the apartment and into the light drizzle.

They ran all the way to the metro station stepping in only a few more puddles than necessary, and as they sat down heavily on one of the train's torn seats, Makoto sighed dramatically.

"Its too bad you couldn't keep that sweet car you had."


	4. Airplane: On a Date

7:15 PM

She wore a mid-thigh length purple dress, kitten heels, and a single black jewel from Hotaru's vast collection. Her long black hair was tied up and set with a comb that belonged to a grandmother she never met, but whose face eerily resembled her own in life.

Sitting down in the corner booth of a small cafe which was filled with young professionals and memorabilia from the 30s, Rei waited.

Rei showed up fifteen minutes early on purpose; she wanted plenty of time to familiarize herself with the layout, identify the exits, and keep track of the flow of foot traffic outside. She couldn't believe how easily the others had accepted the generals back into their lives. The years had not tempered the fury she felt that day when he tried to kill her friends in cold blood, regardless of whether or not he was under a spell at the time. It had been his decision, in the old days, to follow Beryl at all, and he was better at slinking around the courts than anyone.

Regardless, he was human now, or so Mamoru said, so she waited two weeks before seeing him. A criminal record was not something Rei needed in her life, and she certainly would have obtained one had he shown up in her presence uninvited.

7:29 PM

It seemed that the crowds became quieter as the wooden door at the front of the cafe opened and Jadeite stepped in. The blood pounding in Rei's ears drowned out the chatter and murmuring and minutia and she clenched her fists to stop from confronting him in the middle of the room.

Jadeite scanned the area, gaze alighting on a pale face that displayed not an inch of welcome. Still, he approached, sliding into the chair across from her as she watched cautiously.

"I should kill you." Rei said, folding her arms and leaning slightly forward.

The side of Jadeite's mouth turned up slightly.

"You could, and the senshi would believe you when you said you had a reason. But then, they would distrust the other three and you would start something that could only end with the unhappiness of everyone close to you."

Rei scoffed, back straightening.

"And I'd be doing us all a favor! Everyone else may believe that no one remembers what you put us through four years ago, but I don't. There is no way you could be so convenient."

Picking up a paper napkin and folding it, once, twice, Jadeite waited. He waited as anger turned slightly into disappointment and Rei leaned back against her chair.

"I know that look" He said. "The last time I saw it, or at least, the last time I remember seeing it, you were in that dress, and I was telling you I found something better than the Moon Kingdom."

Rei stood abruptly.

"I don't want to hear about that. This has nothing to do with what you think you remember from back then. You're a fool."

She walked towards the door and disappeared into the street, not glancing back once as the crowds of people swallowed her up.


	5. Leader: Kissing

Minako tapped her pen against the table rapidly, the sun shining in through the blinds, as she sat at Mamoru's kitchen table. The inhabitants of the apartment were curled up together on the couch as they slept off the effects of Kunzite's latest attempted resurrection. Sighing, Minako dropped the pen and slouched back in her chair.

_Why didn't it work? It worked for everyone else!_

She wished the other girls were there to brainstorm with her, but they were all busy and Rei still didn't like being in the same room as one of the generals if she could help it.

Sighing, Mina laid her head down on the table.

The Princess of Venus stuck her head around the pillar, eyes carefully tracking the object of her surveillance. Kunzite, leader of Endymion's generals, stood instructing one of the guards that had been assigned to the Prince during his official visit to the Moon.

"Hurry up and leave..." Aprodea whispered as the guard eagerly listened to Kunzite's advice. She leaned against the pillar, waiting.

Finally, a few moments later the guard went off to his post, leaving the other man standing there alone. Aprodea took a deep breath and emerged from her hiding place, making her way over to Kunzite, long yellow dress trailing behind her. He looked up with a tiny smile, and bowed.

"Princess Aprodea, I thought I saw you in the vicinity."

_He knew I was there? Darn._

"Well," she said, clearing her voice, "I was just taking a walk, and I'm... I'm glad that you happened to be here."

Kunzite raised one eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Aprodea fiddled with one of the ribbons on her dress and forced herself not to look away rudely.

"Yes, I have something to tell you, some news that you should be aware of." She paused and noticed the bench a few feet behind them. "Please sit down."

Kunzite nodded and moved to the bench, sitting, back straight as always. He motioned for Aprodea to sit down as well, which she did, trying to be as graceful as possible.

"You see, Lord Kunzite, I... I know all about the red strings!"

"I'm sorry? Wh-"

Aprodea cut him off, leaning in quickly to kiss him before she lost her determination.

She only got a moment to enjoy it, however, before two hands were gently pushing her away. Looking down at her lap, face burning, she mumbled an apology.

Smiling gently, Kunzite shook his head.

"You did not offend me, Princess, but I am not the one for you. Someone who is closer to your age and social standing would be more suited."

"Hmph!" Aprodea crossed her arms in front of her and looked at him. "I am the Princess of Venus, what do I care about the length of Earth years? Besides, you are the Prince's closest adviser, just as I am Princess Serenity's!"

Minako woke with a start, flush still on her cheeks, as someone gently tugged on her shirt sleeve. She looked up to see Usagi, one hand over her mouth in a yawn, attempting to pull her out of the chair.

"Come on, Mina, Mamo is going to try again and he needs your help."

Standing up, somewhat wobbly, Minako walked over to where Mamoru stood with the Golden Crystal suspended in front of him.

"Minako," he asked, "Do you think you could use the chain to pull his soul to this world?"

She nodded. "I could try."

Mamoru began chanting something in a quiet voice, one hand outstretched and the other held by Usagi. Minako glanced over, envious of the way their power so easily fit together. She shook her head of the distraction and summoned the chain, which she no longer had to transform in order to use. As they got closer to the time when Crystal Tokyo rose, they had begun transcending the armor they normally wore.

"Minako, I can see him!" Mamoru tensed as he struggled to get a grasp on Kunzite's soul.

She saw it too, a pale glowing sphere that hovered in the space in front of them. It flickered in and out, as if in two places at once, just like the other times. With a deft movement of her hand, Minako sent the chain towards it, wrapping it around the soul and pulling it more firmly into their dimension.

They pulled...

And finally, the room filled with light that caused Minako to close her eyes tightly.

She was about to open them when a small hand turned her around to face the other way. Usagi leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially, " They don't have clothes when they show up." Minako took a deep breath and focused on their voices.

"Endymion, thank you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm just glad to have all of my friends back. Here, you can use this."

A long moment later, Mamoru tapped her on the arm. _Stay cool, stay cool. _Minako turned around slowly.

With one look into his happy, tired, face she found herself stepping forward. She wrapped her arms around Kunzite's neck and kissed him soundly, and this time _finally_ he leaned down and pulled her closer.


	6. Clever: Wearing Each Other's Clothes

Ami traced her finger against the chilled window, painting a series of random scientific symbols in the condensation. She peered through the glass, over the snow covered skyline, from her apartment on the 17th floor.

"Are you bored already?"

She turned to her study companion, who was leaning on his elbow over a Philosophy textbook and flipping back and forth through pages. Settling back in her seat, Ami shrugged.

"Not bored, just distracted. I love this kind of weather."

Zoisite nodded, closing his book.

"Then lets go for a walk? I'm just repeating material at this point anyway."

Ami smiled and quickly went to grab their coats from the hall closet, but when she looked over Zoisite's wool jacket, she frowned.

"Hey," she said, handing it to him as he finished tying his shoes, "Do you not have a scarf?"

"I guess I don't." He shrugged the jacket on and watched as Ami disappeared into her room and emerged, smiling, with both hands behind her back.

"Choose a hand."

Zoisite made a show of 'hmming' and shifting his weight from foot to foot, taking his time before finally pointing to her left hand. Ami stretched that hand out to reveal a soft-looking light blue scarf with a snowflake pattern. The other scarf was a much more subdued grey argyle, which Ami held out as well, giggling.

"I understand if you actually want to wear this one."

"Absolutely not!" Zoisite said, taking the snowflake one and efficiently wrapping it around his neck. "This is the one you wear more often, I'm assuming?"

Ami nodded as she tucked the ends of the argyle scarf into her coat.

"Then its mine now."

Laughing, Ami opened the door and they made their way outside.

Ami took a deep breath of the crisp, refreshing Winter air and stepped happily out into the snow. Zoisite watched her, following close behind, as she tried to mask her playfulness. It didn't last long though, and Ami soon picked up speed, jogging down the sidewalk to grasp onto the railing of an overpass. She turned back to Zoisite, who was casually catching up to her, with a smile.

"I hope it stays like this forever." she said, turning her palms up to catch snowflakes.

Leaning on the railing next to her, Zoisite nodded.

"I wouldn't mind that."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, listening to the remote sounds of traffic and the soft patter of moisture on surfaces.

"Oh, darn..." Ami lifted her hands from the railing. "My gloves have soaked through."

Zoisite looked over at her as she peeled the wet gloves off.

"You don't have water resistant ones?" He lifted his own hand to demonstrate.

Ami shrugged. "That would have been smart of me wouldn't it?"

As she stuffed her gloves into her coat pocket, she saw another pair of gloves enter her vision.

"Here, wear mine until we get back to the apartment."

"No, no that's ok!" Ami shook her head with a smile.

Rolling his eyes, Zoisite glanced down at the gloves and then held the right one out to her. "Then wear this one at least, and I'll wear the other."

"If you insist," Ami said, donning the right glove. "Are you sure its ok?"

Zoisite pushed off from the railing and grasped Ami's bare left hand in his.

"I know what I'm doing."


	7. Airplane: Cosplaying

The crowds in front of Hikawa Shrine surged cheerfully around stalls that smelled like lightly fried fish and warm drinks. Children ran back and forth under strings of lights grasping bags of candy in one hand and bags of goldfish in the other, their parents following indulgently behind. Teenagers walked closely together, smiling brightly, colorful fabric of their loose sleeves brushing.

Rei watched from behind the paper doors of the shrine proper, peering out every now and then as she prepared her costume. She carefully wrapped the voluminous kimono around herself, preferring to take on the difficult task without the assistance of the junior miko. The white paint she applied to her face obscured every feature except her black eyes and red lips, and it was that which finally made her feel like the role she was assigned to play.

Tonight she was Uzume, goddess of dance and mirth, and the patron of the miko who were the shamans in ancient times that incited human souls to music and life. Uzume, who convinced Ameterasu to come out of her cave with her revelry and the reminder of sisterhood.

Slowly, Rei slid open the door and made her way through the shrine halls. Her feet made no sound on the hardwood floors, and the only evidence she had passed was the soft rustling of fabric and the brief glimpse of silk. She floated down the stairs to the dimming lights and the slow beat of a drum.

The crowds that gathered to watch quieted as Uzume began her rhythmic dance. She twirled her twin fans around in quick circles, passing from one side to the next, and bending low to sweep her long hair almost to the floor. Other goddesses kept their hair in the intricate styles of the last age, but Uzume wanted as little restriction as possible when she moved. She flipped her hair backwards, eyes opening, and almost stumbled. Across the stones, carrying the Jeweled Spear, stood Sarutahiko.

"Uzume!" He called, "You said if I gave up my lands, my claim on the East, you would be mine!"

He walked slowly forward, the spear almost dragging on the ground, and when he got within ten feet of Uzume, he bowed deeply. Uzume caught a glimpse of blond hair and took several steps backwards. She turned and retreated to the shrine, cheers of the crowd following behind her. The sound of Sarutahiko's spear clattering on the ground spurred her forward and she went deep into the rooms, far away from the night air.

When she finally reached the inner chambers, Rei stopped. She could feel his presence in the doorway and she shook with the effort it took not to turn the fire against him.

"I meant it then, and I still do." he said, quietly.

Jadeite watched as Rei stood on the other side of the room, white-stained fingers grasping the fabric of her costume.

"Get out. Now."

Moments of quiet passed, and when Rei turned around, the room was empty.


	8. Leader: Shopping

Minako breathed deeply and exhaled with a soft "ahh..." as the stood in the sunny morning at the bottom of her apartment complex. She lived on one of the top floors, perks of being an idol, and thoroughly enjoyed the view she had of one of the city's best shopping districts.

Her mission for the day: Get Kunzite a proper wardrobe so he didn't have to keep borrowing Mamoru's boring old clothes. He was the leader of the generals for goodness sake! She thought he deserved something at least a little flashier. (Not that even Mamoru hadn't had his green jacket and purple pants moments, but who hadn't?) Bouncing lightly on her feet, Minako waited for her victim so they could spend an awesome day shopping.

Finally, she saw a head of pale hair floating through the crowd that covered the sidewalk. Kunzite noticed her waving hand and made his way over.

"Hm," Minako murmured, before he was within earshot, "He really needs a hat. This sun cannot be good on him..."

Smiling brightly as Kunzite approached, Minako held her arms outstretched. He shook his head slightly in amusement but didn't pause in reaching down to hug her close, if only for a couple of seconds.

"Alright!" Minako exclaimed, waving her blush away as she dramatically pushed her hair from her face, "We've got one thing to accomplish today!"

Kunzite crossed his arms. "Oh?"

"Yes."

Grabbing his hand, Minako began pulling him in the direction of several mens' wear shops.

"We are getting you set up!"

She felt Kunzite's steps slow as she explained her plan of attack for his clothing.

"Minako..."

They stopped walking in front of a place that specialized in modern office wear.

"Oh no," Minako began, hands on her hips, "I know that tone of voice. It means you're about to tell me I'm not allowed to do something."

"I would love to spend the day shopping with you, but I'm afraid I'm not in the financial situation to buy new clothes right now."

Kunzite looked slightly embarrassed. Stoic, but embarrassed, as per usual, and Minako smiled.

"You know that's not a problem, right? I want to do this as a gift to you."

Sighing, Kunzite shook his head.

"I can't accept such a thing, even if idols do make ridiculous amounts of money."

Minako nodded, thinking. She pulled him to the side so they wouldn't block foot traffic.

"I'll make you a deal then. You need a day job, at least until Crystal Tokyo rises and you go back to being General of the Middle East, right?"

Kunzite said nothing, so she continued.

"So then lets brainstorm while we shop, we'll figure out where you can apply, you let me buy at least some interview clothes, and then someday you can pay me back with the best date you can think of."

Taking Minako's hand again, Kunzite continued walking.

"I'm not sure what to do about 21st century girls. They pay for things, they invite themselves on dates."

He glanced over at Minako, who was slowly reddening.

"They make very bold first moves..."

Minako pulled away and increased her pace.

"Sheesh, you could have stopped me if it made you uncomfortable."

"Mina," Kunzite laughed lightly, pulling her back, "'Uncomfortable' is not the word one uses when a beautiful nineteen year old wants to spend time with them."

"Well," she said, smiling and tucking her arm in his, "I guess that's OK then."


	9. Strength: Hanging Out With Friends

The clanging of pots and cheerful humming greeted Nephrite as he opened the door to Makoto's apartment. Quickly removing his shoes, he ducked inside and deposited a couple of six packs on the living room table before making his way to the kitchen. When he saw Makoto pouring something into a mixing bowl, his shoulders fell.

"Mako, hey, I was just going to order pizza for the guys, you don't have to do that..."

Makoto turned around, taking the headphones from her ears with a smile.

"No way you are ordering cheap pizza in _my_ house. Every time I cook for the girls they eat tiny tiny portions," she motioned with her hands, "And now I get a chance to practice cooking a big meal for people who will actually eat it all? I am not going to miss that."

"Yeah, but..."

"Nope, come over here and slice this bread for me."

Nephrite sighed and grabbed a knife.

Twenty minutes later the kitchen smelled like herb chicken and warm vegetables, and the chefs congratulated each other on their handiwork. As they began setting the table a knock on the door signaled that they had finished just in time and Nephrite greeted his friends with gruff hugs and handshakes as he showed them in to the cozy apartment.

"Hurry, hurry, sit down and dig in!" Makoto said as she disappeared to grab the salt and pepper from the kitchen. She took her time, watching as the four somewhat awkwardly situated themselves. They had been best friends, battle buddies, epic bromance, whatever you wanted to call it, but she could tell they were still getting used to not being alone. Beryl had turned them against the world, but she had also turned them against each other in the end. They were trying though.

"By the way, nice jacket. Where'd you get it?" Zoisite glanced over at Kunzite, eyebrow raised.

Kunzite's eyes narrowed.

"A store." he said, evasively.

Jadeite chuckled. "By that he means his rich girlfriend took him out."

Reaching over to grab the plate of chicken, Nephrite nodded. "I was wondering why he looked so relaxed."

"Speaking of which, Jadeite," Zoisite asked, picture of innocence, "How is that going for you."

Jadeite glared at him. "Like you know hell about it."

Makoto shook her head and made her way back to the table, tossing her apron over the counter.

"Alright guys, there's an awful lot of talking going on and none of it is about how awesome our cooking is."

Nephrite grinned, "It is awesome, isn't it?"

Kunzite nodded politely, as did Jadeite, though his smile was still tainted by the teasing. Zoisite thanked Makoto for letting them use the apartment for their meeting, adding, "The best meals I've ever had were prepared by Jovians."

As Makoto sat basking in the praise, Kunzite leaned forward on one elbow.

"I've been thinking that we're going to have to stop going by our titles. Its not going to be easy to blend in that way."

Moments passed as the others digested the idea.

"Well," Jadeite asked, finally slightly more agreeable, "Should we pick new names?"

Zoisite shook his head. "There's no way I could get used to completely new names. Let's use our old ones."

"Old as in, from the Silver Millennium?" Nephrite twirled a piece of broccoli on his fork. "Are we allowed?"

Kunzite nodded. "We might as well. Endymion and Ami need to know what to put on the records they're creating for us."

Looking slightly surprised, Makoto turned to Nephrite.

"Did I forget your old names? I can't believe that..."

He shrugged and looked embarrassed, "We didn't use them very often in public after we started working for Endymion under those titles, but Kunzite was Saif, Zoisite was Schuler, Jadeite was Yusheng, and I was Aren."

"Aren..." she murmured, testing it out for a moment before smiling. "I like it!"

Aren crossed his arms, flushing, as the others laughed at him. The tension a little less than before, they spent the rest of the night practicing their new-old names and getting used to being the men that Endymion had brought together.


	10. Clever: With Animal Ears

As soon as Ami unlocked the door, the library reading room started to fill with eager children and their parents. She ushered them in with a smile, showing them to the rows of cushions that served as chairs. Once they had gotten mostly situated, Ami, wearing a pair of mouse ears, moved over to the flannel board and took a seat next to it. On the other side sat Schuler, in cat ears that he had staunchly refused to wear until Ami gave him that look, holding a bag full of cloth clings in the shape of animals.

"Thank you everyone for coming today!" Ami said, opening a large picture book to the first page. "We're going to read about how the Rat won his place on the zodiac over the Cat. And my friend here," she motioned to Schuler, who bowed his head, "is going to illustrate it for us on the board."

Ami's voice was soft, but expressive as she described ancient China, the council of gods, and how they held a contest for the animals to decide who would represent the months. She glanced over at Schuler as he dutifully placed the corresponding animals and symbols on the cling board and smiled when she noticed how carefully the children watched his hands. He had always, she thought, had such nice hands. They weren't much wider than hers, but they were longer and more deft. Ami imagined that he might have been a musician or an artist if he had been so inclined, though, she was infinitely glad there wasn't too much else Schuler had in common with her father.

After a while they got to the end of the story, and stood up to bow as the children cheered happily. Several of them ran up to hug Ms. Ami and, at her prompting, shyly went over the hug Schuler as well. He was only slightly awkward about it, but he did breathe a relaxed sigh when the room was again empty.

"Thank you," Ami said, gathering up the materials, "You did a wonderful job."

Schuler looked at her, his mild sarcasm only just barely covering embarrassment.

"You seem surprised."

Ami laughed.

"Not at all. I asked you for a reason, I knew you were quick enough to keep up."

Nodding, Schuler held the door open as Ami walked out and handed the box of materials back to one of the librarians. They headed down the library steps, Ami a little bouncier than usual.

"What are you so excited about?" Schuler asked, grasping her hand as they neared the bus stop.

Ami shrugged happily. "Well, when Crystal Tokyo rises, Usagi said it would be my job to design the new library system. Its going to be so much fun!"

"That does sound interesting," Schuler agreed.

He fished out some coins for the bus fare and dropped it into the bin. As they made their way to a pair of empty seats, he noticed snickering from the other bus riders. Ami looked back at him for a moment, trying not to laugh, reached up to his hair... and pulled off the pair of cat ears.


	11. Strength: Wearing Kigurumis

"This is Schuler's fault, isn't it?" Aren complained, as Makoto finished buttoning up the back of his costume. "Ami told you how much fun it was volunteering him for 'kids time' and now everyone wants to do it. He doesn't even really like kids! You know, just because we wore uniforms doesn't mean-"

"Hush!" Makoto said with a laugh. "This isn't volunteering, you're getting paid to do it. Sort of. In modern times we call it a part-time job, and its what we do when our friends get tired of us sleeping on their couches all day."

Aren tried to move in the heavy costume but found anything other than walking and bending at the elbow to be annoying.

"I haven't been sleeping all day, have I?"

Makoto shook her head and turned around.

"Here, tie this up for me."

"Um. I don't have any fingers right now."

Forty-five minutes later, after finding a friendly bystander to help Makoto with the rest of her costume, the two were standing on a parade float at the back of a new theme park that had been built just outside the city. They took their places by giant foam candy canes at the front corners of the float. Aren looked over at Makoto, or at least, she thought he did. The head of the mask turned anyway.

"Why are we Hansel and Gretel again? And why do they have giant fabric bodies?" Aren asked, trying to be heard over the cheerful brass music that was coming from the band two floats ahead.

Makoto shrugged, making a motion like she couldn't hear him, but Aren just knew she was laughing behind that stupid mask.

Soon the float began moving slowly forward. Crowds gathered along the road the parade would take, glad for the distraction from the long lines into brand new rides. Children shouted and waved, and Hansel and Gretel, along with a menagerie of animals and other fairy tale characters, dutifully waved back.

All in all, it was an impressive theme park. Based on old fairy tales from around the world, the park had dozens of rides and games as well as restaurants and shops. Makoto hadn't told Aren yet, but in addition to the pocket change they were making from the event, they would be allowed one day's free admission.

It took about an hour for the last float to clear the parade line, and the participants were more than glad to get out of the uncomfortable costumes. Even in the cold weather, it was enough that everyone had broken out in a sweat, and the bathrooms were soon full of half-costumed characters trying to wash their hands and faces.

Aren waited outside the facilities for a few minutes before Makoto skipped out, looking a lot more fresh and energetic than he felt. Right before he could comment on it though, one of the event coordinators walked up and handed each of them a pair of tickets.

"Thank you for your help today! Please bring a date and enjoy yourselves!" she said, with a bow.

Makoto looked down at the tickets with a frown. She hadn't realized they would each get two, and what if Aren didn't want to go with her anyway? Its not like they had an officially established relationship, he hadn't even blinked when she referred to him as a friend earlier...

"...the other two?"

Shaking her head, Makoto realized Aren had been speaking.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

Aren chuckled, "I said, we don't need all these. Who do you think would want the other two? I mean, that is, if you weren't planning on going with someone else." He looked at something in the distance. "I didn't mean to assume."

Makoto smiled brightly. "Of course we're going together! Weirdo." She hooked her arm in Aren's and started walking towards a refreshment stand.

"Say, we could give the others to Rei and Yusheng." she said casually, peering over the drinks menu.

Aren's laughter rang out over the crowds.


	12. Airplane: Making Out

Rei tuned out the sound of laughter and talking as she made her way into the crowded theme park. The sun shone a little bright for most people, but it was nothing compared to the red surfaces Rei was remembering more and more each day. She knew she was being tricked into coming because Makoto had given her the ticket a little too casually, her smile a little too fixed. To be honest, Rei didn't think it mattered. She could track Jadeite's movements and he wouldn't approach her without her consent, not after last time.

So why did she go at all?

For about an hour Rei didn't see him. She took her time, wandering through the rides, buying souvenirs for the girls, ignoring the glances of intrigued young men. Then, in the time it took a group of middle school girls to pass through her field of vision, he was there, sitting on a bench across the path, looking down at his feet.

Rei sighed and approached, keeping her steps quiet out of habit more than anything, since she knew he knew exactly where she was. Sitting down on the bench, not too close, she crossed her arms.

"The great Jadeite has been fooled, you know." she said, not looking over at him.

"No..." He murmured, "I wasn't. They're not very good at hiding their motivations, but you are. Why are you here?"

"To see how long you would hide from me." Rei answered, casually.

"That's not fair."

"Yusheng-"

"So you _do_ know my real name."

Rei recoiled slightly from the bitterness in his tone.

"Lets take this somewhere we won't cause a scene."

Not giving him time to respond, Rei stood up and made her way to a part of the park that was still under construction. It was easy for them to slip inside since everyone was so busy making sure no children harmed themselves on any of the rides and as soon as they were out of range, Rei turned on him, throwing her purse on the ground.

"I always knew your real name! I used it a lot longer than I should have!"

Yusheng stood his ground, fists clenched in frustration.

"What are you- I told you I would stop! I was going to leave Endymion's service for you! We could have run off together, but you apparently didn't want me like that!"

"What," Rei demanded, "So its my fault you betrayed everyone?"

"No, I'm not saying that-"

"Then what?"

"I'm saying make up your mind, Rei. Please!" With a tired sigh, Yusheng hung his head. "It was late in the game. You knew the war was going to be bad, so either you didn't care about stopping me, or you did but didn't want to make any sort of change to do it."

Rei's hands were shaking as she took a step forward.

"Sheng, I was a child then. There was no way I could make the decision to betray my home, my people, my Princess for a boy who was older, on the other side. It was too much." She placed her hands on either side of his face and brought his head up so she could look him in the eye.

Yusheng closed his eyes against her gaze. "But you wanted me to do that exact thing, and until Beryl showed up and corrupted it, there was nothing wrong with the Earth wanting independence."

"I know. I know, and I'm sorry."

Rei kissed him once.

"I'm so sorry. I did want you. I do."

And again.

And Yusheng's arms hesitantly wrapped around her.


	13. Clever: Eating Ice Cream

The familiar sounds of the hospital filled Ami's ears as she reentered the busy building for the second time that day. Thankfully she had only rarely been there for serious reasons, but she often made deliveries for her mother over the years. More recently, she had begun applying to be an intern and the mountain of paperwork was taking time to say the least. On this particular Tuesday, though, she was going to visit Schuler, who had gotten himself an acute case of tonsillitus, and had to have surgery to have them removed.

It was something about which Ami realized she needed to be more aware. The Shitennou, ressurrected as the versions of themselves that existed during the old kingdom, had not yet developed the immune system necessary to function casually on earth. She had already been on the phone with them, letting them know they needed to get their series' of shots as soon as possible.

The nurse at the front desk waved to Ami as she passed, and Ami made her way up to the third floor. There had been no complications during the surgery, and luckily the papers she and Mamoru had fabricated were accurate enough to Schuler's actual medical state that the doctors didn't run into anything surprising. Still, she knew how miserable mouth surgery could be when it was impossible to swallow or talk without discomfort. She knocked on the door, politeness more than function, since she know he couldn't answer, and entered.

Schuler was sitting up in his bed reading one of his textbooks, his face a little puffy and he looking more than a little put-out. He turned when he heard the door open, and smiled. Ami sat down in the chair next to his bed and leaned over to hug him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, rummaging around in the bag she had brought.

Shrugging his shoulders, Schuler didn't try to speak. Instead he reached over and grabbed a notepad and wrote on it, "The back of my mouth is ridiculously annoying, but I don't think I'll die."

Ami laughed lightly. "Well," She handed him a paper carton and a spoon. "I have brought lunch. I hope its not too difficult to eat."

Schuler looked at the container of ice cream and his eyes lit up. He momentarilly set the spoon down and scribbled on the notepad, "You are a goddess. A million times, thank you!" He handed it to Ami and then quickly dug in, relaxing visibly as he ate.

Shaking her head with a smile, Ami took out her own container and for a while they just ate in silence. Then, Ami noticed the notepad being again slid her way. It said, "The doctors implied that kisses near the affected area were the fastest form of treatment." She looked up at him, eyebrow quirked, but Schuler was studying the pain-reaction chart on the far wall. So, she wrote back, "I'm afraid I'm not a doctor yet. Shall I call one for you?" Schuler glanced at her response, and at her too-straight face, and rolled his eyes.

After a few moments Ami's face finally cracked into a smile. She scooted on to the hospital bed and curled up under Schuler's arm, giving him one light kiss on the cheek, before reading along with him in his textbook.


	14. Leader: Genderswapped

For a moment Minako's vision seemed to shimmer in front of her, and when it returned to normal she was in the same place she had been before, lounging on Saif's couch, her head pillowed in his lap. She didn't think anything of it until she realized Saif's legs seemed shorter than usual and his pants bunched up strangely. Rearranging herself into a sitting position, Minako wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked over at him.

"Huh...?"

Minako blinked several times. In Saif's place sat a slender woman, pale hair tied back loosely, leaning against the plush arm of the couch and sighing lightly in her sleep. Reaching over to touch the woman's shoulder, Minako noticed that her own hand seemed larger than normal. She quickly reached for her compact, flipped it open to examine her face, and had to stifle the squeak that threatened to wake the sleeping woman.

In the place of her own familiar face, was the face of a man who could have been her brother. A moment of realization caused Minako to look back and forth between her reflection and the woman sitting next to her.

"Have we been...? Huh, my voice, its pretty cool. Anyway."

It wasn't that bad, she theorized, after taking a moment to calm her heart rate. She still had her own personality, her body's actions weren't being controlled by anyone, it didn't even really smell like dark energy was involved. Whatever it was, she was sure Ami could figure it out.

"Well, I'd better wake Saif." Minako reached over again to shake him gently, speech already prepared.

Saif stirred, stretching his arms over his head, and Minako couldn't help the pleasant twinge that resulted from seeing the buttoned shirt pull against his chest.

_Huh. That's a new reaction. No, focus._

As soon as Saif's eyes opened, he jumped off of the couch and into a fighting position.

"Who are you? State your purpose!"

"Wait!" Minako's hands flew up defensively. "Saif, its me, Mina. I promise, we've been switched around, or something!"

Saif relaxed slightly, seemingly studying Minako's mannerisms.

"Prove you're my Mina."

"Wow..." Minako lowered her hands and smiled, "Even when you're a woman I love your voice. Its a little low, and very precise, and super-"

"That's enough! You've made your point." Saif's face was flushed and he crossed his arms, turning away slightly. "What do we do now?"

"Well," Minako held up her phone, "I've already texted Ami, we'll see what she says, and in the meantime, we should just relax I guess."

Saif nodded, and walked towards the open window where a refreshing early-evening breeze tugged on the ends of his hair. Minako watched, and time seemed to pass quickly as the changing light rolled over them. The dimmer the sky got, the less corporial Saif's body seemed to be, and a dread that Minako had not felt since the days of fighting began to settle in her mind. She stood up quickly and in three long strides had crossed the room and gathered Saif up in her arms.

"Mina-"

"I'm sorry. I just, back then, when we fought and I killed you, the Earth was dark and rising behind you and it seemed like you faded into space even as I was holding your body. I know I had to do it, I know it freed you for a little while, but I... just want to protect the people I love always, and you seem so small right now that I don't know what to do."

Minako woke to the tears in her eyes being gently brushed away and she tucked herself against Saif as close as she could, clinging tightly to the realness of him.

"Saif-"

"Shh, hayati, its ok." He said, rubbing comforting circles on her back.

"No, no, I need to tell you this." Minako looked up at his eyes, grey in the darkness and crinkled slightly in worry. "This is the kind of love they warned us about. You are so beautiful and I would do anything for you."

Saif nodded thoughtfully. "Mina, I would never ask you to betray your Queen and I know you would never ask me to abandon my King either."

"But,"

"And they would never ask any of us to abandon our happiness for their sake. Those two especially know how it is, and they're building this new world so that everyone they care about can have the life they always wanted to have."

She knew Saif was right. It wasn't going to be like before, when they were warriors first and girls second. Serenity, Usagi, wanted peace for everyone, and it would upset her if Minako couldn't accept it. Still, it was difficult getting used to freedoms she had never known. It would take time.

Minutes passed, and as she lay there cradled against Saif's chest, Minako started to feel a little better.

"Saif, I just noticed something." She said, voice closer to her normal playfulness.

"Hm?"

"You implied I'm what you've always wanted."

Saif shifted slightly. "You just told me you loved me. Are you surprised I reciprocated?"

"Nope!" Minako giggled and leaned over to pepper his face with kisses. "I love you, I love you, I love you..."


	15. Airplane: In a Different Clothing Style

Yusheng knocked on the door for the third time, and got no response. He sighed and leaned against the adjacent wall, fiddling absently with the cuff on his upper arm.

"No one takes as long to get ready for a party as Rei." He said, matter-of-factly.

He thought he heard her grandfather laughing somewhere in the distance. Yusheng got along decently with Hino so far, only having been asked a few strange questions like, "Isn't it good Rei is of age?", "Where is your home shrine?", and "Do you understand the fire?" to which he dutifully replied, "Yes sir." "In the living room." and "No one can really understand the fire." He had gotten a laugh from the last one. All in all, he got the sense that Hino knew that Rei had always had good taste in friends and he needn't start worrying now.

Nevertheless, Yuseng had gotten a strange look when he showed up twenty minutes prior wearing an amber dhoti, a headdress that looked like flames, a full face mask on the back of his head, and bare-chested except for several gold cuffs. Hino had wandered away, mumbling something about strange Western holidays, and left Yusheng awkwardly standing in a half-bow.

Finally, Yusheng heard the door to his right creak, and with a rustle of fabric, Rei stepped out. She looked slightly annoyed, no surprise there, but to be honest Yusheng was slightly distracted. Rei had managed to find a pink cap-sleeve choli and a delicately embroidered red sari that trailed just behind her. She wore her hair loose and adorned with gold chains that connected at her forehead to a pendant the shape of a phoenix. Her eyes, normally without makeup, were smoky and made her gaze seem even more intense.

"Yusheng," she said, breaking his concentration, "Is it a hobby of yours to dress up like Eastern deities?"

Yusheng shrugged, and followed her as she made her way out of the shrine. "I only do it as often as you do, really."

They weren't the last to show up for the Halloween party being hosted by the Crown Game Center. That honor went to Usagi and Mamoru, who looked slightly disheveled in their Catherine costumes. Luckily, Makoto slapped a gloved hand over Aren's mouth before he could say something embarrassing. They had come dressed as modern versions of the Beauty and the Beast, which was more than a little funny because Makoto was no graceful princess most of the time, and Aren already looked like someone had stopped the transformation in the middle. Ami and Schuler were a gruesome representation of a surgeon and a still-cut-open patient, and Minako had forced Saif into some sort of military uniform while she wore a significantly sexier, and significantly less accurate version of the same thing.

"Say, Yusheng," Schuler said, wiping some excess stage blood on his pants, "Ever since we got back I've been wanting to challenge you."

Yusheng looked up from the modest selection of beer on the counter. "Oh yeah, kid? How so?"

"Karaoke."

The others laughed and clapped as the two of them took their places by the karaoke machine. Mamoru scrolled through the songs, mumbling to himself until Aren excitedly pointed to one of them. Laughing, they selected the challenge, and as soon as the opening bars of Cher's Believe started to play...

...the electricity went out. A couple of exaggerated screams and disappointed sighs filled the darkness before Motoki called out, "Alright, let me get the flashlights."

No sooner had he reached the supply closet, the lights came back on. Usagi lifted her arm to cheer, but the sound caught in her throat as she noticed the strange creature in the middle of the room. It seemed awfully familiar.

"Is that... a youma?!" she cried, turning to the others.

The senshi immediately assumed fighting stances, and Minako nodded.

"It looks like one we fought years ago."

Schuler looked over at Aren and shrugged, "It looks like one of yours."

"No it doesn't!"

"Nevermind whose it was," Saif said, moving towards the youma, "Lets take care of it."

The youma, who had been looking back and forth between the speakers, suddenly took a step back and lifted its hands. "Wait!" It reached up to the top of its head and pulled off what seemed to be a rubber mask. "I'm not a real monster!"

Indeed, in the place of a potentially life-threatening being stood a scared teenage boy. Usagi's eyes widened, and before anyone could stop her she stomped up to the boy and leaned in close.

"Who told you it was funny to dress up like a youma?"

"I, uh... I just-"

"Spit it out!"

"I always thought Sailor Moon was cool, but I wanted to be sort of ironic about it!" He seemed to deflate, and after a moment Usagi relaxed as well.

"Well," she said, "I can understand thinking Sailor Moon is the coolest, because she is, but aren't there better ways of demonstrating it?"

The boy nodded.

Crisis averted, everyone went back to their various party activities, even if some of them were a little confused about the reactions of some of the guests.

Yusheng sighed and leaned against the bar, realizing that Rei had not left her post, perched on a stool at the end of the bar, since the commotion began.

"You don't seem surprised."

Rei shrugged, "I knew it was a human in a costume."

Shaking his head, Yusheng grabbed the two forgotten beers and handed one to her.

"You might have told us."

"But then I wouldn't have been treated to the sight of four grown men wondering whose fault it was."

"Thanks."


	16. Leader: During Their Morning Rituals

"Saiiiif!" Minako called from the tiny apartment kitchen, "Blueberry or strawberry?"

She listened for the squeaking of the towel rod in the bathroom, and then Saif's light steps down the short hall. He walked in the kitchen, tying his hair back, and smiled.

"You don't have to fix anything for me, Mina."

Minako stuck her tongue out. "Relax, its just frozen waffles. Now which kind do you want?"

She hummed happily at the increased warmth as Saif wrapped his arms around her and peered over her shoulder.

"Blueberry, and aren't you worried what the others will think if you're never at your apartment anymore?"

Laughing, Minako pushed the waffles into the toaster. "Seriously? You know Usagi has been sneaking over to Mamoru's place since she was fourteen, and yes that means we are officially the worst bodyguards in history. Twice."

Saif winced. "Yes."

"And," she continued, "I know Ami takes her studies seriously, but no amount of classes can justify weeks of 'all-night review sessions' with Schuler."

Nodding, Saif took two plates from the shelf and divided up the waffles and breakfast sausage. Minako grabbed some orange juice from the fridge, shaking the carton to make sure there was enough, and poured glasses for the both of them. When they sat down at Saif's small folding table, she leaned over it conspiratorily.

"I wasn't sure until recently, but I think Rei and Yusheng like costumes, you know."

Saif almost choked on his juice. "Mina, I don't want to know that about Yusheng, please."

Minako shrugged, "To each their own, am I right? And in anycase Aren and Makoto are going to run off and elope soon if we don't stop them."

"Really?" Saif stopped, fork halfway to his mouth. "But they seem so casual."

"That's a front. Well, and its their style." She made a show of flipping her as of yet unbrushed hair over her shoulder. "Not everyone can be glamorous lovers like us!"

She grinned as she thought she saw a flush cross her companion's face before he shook it away.

"So, Aprodea," Saif began, resting his napkin on the table, "What are your predictions about us?

"Nope, no spoilers."

"Oh, you must be too embarassed to talk about it."

Minako bristled, "I am not either! The goddess of love is never embarassed about these things. In fact," she threw back the last of her orange juice and set the glass down firmly, "I would like you to know that you're stuck with me forever!"

Saif leaned back in his chair and seemed to be pondering her outburst.

"Just like this?"

"Yes, just like this."

"Hm..." he trailed off.

Minako's expression turned from defiant to worried as the silence dragged on. Finally her shoulders sagged, and she said quietly, "I mean, if you want, I guess its not very romantic if I announce it like that."

Smiling, Saif reached over to take Mina's left hand in his and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"Why do you always take it back?" He asked, "If its how you feel, then don't go back and forth about it. I know you know how important it is for a leader to be firm in their convictions."

"I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Mina, I have no fear of commitment. However, if you would prefer to stay 'just like this' forever, I understand."

Minako's eyes widened, "Are you saying- no, no way! I didn't mean this was our limit, if you wanted to-"

Saif squeezed her hand, relief crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Good."

"Sheesh," Minako shook her head. "Don't scare me like that."

"Understood." he said, with a smile.


	17. Clever: Spooning

Thank you so much everyone for reading and enjoying my stories! I really appreciate your reviews and kind words! ^_^ And now, I have a favor to ask you. I have a poll related to these drabbles running on my profile. If you wouldn't mind stopping there for a moment to vote, that would be lovely! ^_^

* * *

Schuler watched as Ami quickly filled notebook pages with notes about city planning and infrastructure. Every now and then she would grab a book from the impressive stack, open to a particular page, and mumble something that was unintelligible from the other side of the room.

Unnoticed, he slipped into the kitchen to fix them some turkey sandwiches. Ami wasn't a bad cook, but she was always working so her kitchen was filled with easy-to-use items like sandwich meat, rolls, canned soup, and instant pasta. The budding doctor's lifestyle made a lot of sense to her, but, to be honest, Schuler wouldn't have minded if they took a vacation sometime soon.

Recently Ami had become obsessed with planning Crystal Tokyo. No one was quite sure how it would work, and for all they knew it would just appear with the power of the Silver Crystal, but just in case, Ami decided she needed to know how to build a city from the ground up. Schuler, on the other hand, had taken it upon himself to design new uniforms for the various occupations the palace would surely create. He started with the Shitennou, of course, fairly certain that neither they nor Mamoru would accidentally start caring what they wore to work.

"Heathens," he mumbled to himself.

Ami looked up as a plate materialized in front of her. As if just snapping out of a trance, she started apologizing for not helping, for not realizing what time it was, and for not hearing Schuler if he had said something.

Schuler shook his head, "Relax, Ami, I've been working too."

Interest piqued, Ami started organizing the books and papers so they would have room to eat. "Oh? On what?"

"Uniforms."

Ami blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"You know," Schuler reached over to the couch and pulled up his sketch book. "Uniforms, for we Guardians, for the guards at the palace, et cetera."

He handed the book over to Ami, who wiped the crumbs from her fingers before opening it.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, softly running her fingers over one of the sketches, "I didn't know you were such a good artist..." she trailed off, a bit of something sad coloring her tone.

"Ami?"

Ami smiled and shook her head. "Its nothing, may I continue looking?"

Schuler nodded, slightly wary, and settled back in his chair.

The next few pages were revisions of the uniforms using different collars, different cuffs, or different shoes, and it was difficult for Ami to choose which one she liked best. Then she got to a drawing of a dress, flowing chiffon, that draped from the shoulders into an inticingly low back and spilled across the drawn floor.

Looking up at Schuler, who seemed a little uncomfortable, Ami smiled.

"What color were you imagining for this?" she asked.

"An antique blue."

"Was it designed for anyone in particular?"

Schuler looked pointedly at her. "You, obviously, you torment."

Ami laughed brightly. "Its a little sexier than what I'm used to wearing."

"I can adjust the design to whatever makes you comfortable, but-"

"Who said I wasn't comfortable with it?" Ami asked, handing the book back over to Schuler. "I'm quite old enough to wear a sexy, elegant evening gown, thank you very much. I just haven't had much occasion, but, if Crystal Tokyo is anything like the Silver Millenium, I will have to dress up sometimes."

"Ah. You're quite right."

Ami took the empty plates back to the kitchen leaving Schuler to process while she washed them off. When she returned, he had straightened up his sketches and research material and was sitting 'casually' at the table. Ami made a show of stretching her arms and yawning.

"I'm exhausted, and I'm going to take a nap." she announced, retreating to her bedroom. "If you're done designing things for now, you're welcome to join me."

She had barely made it under the blankets before Schuler was sidling up behind her to pull her close to his chest.

"I am going to make that dress if its the last thing I do." he said, voice muffled by Ami's hair.

Ami giggled and brought Schuler's hand up so she could kiss his graphite-stained fingers.


	18. Strength: Sneaking Around

"Come oooon, let me braid your hair."

"Nope. Not a chance."

Makoto folded her arms and glared at Aren, who was sitting resolutely with the back of his head pressed against the couch and therefore, away from her grasp.

"Aren, it will be so convenient! Plus, you'll stop getting hairs in my cooking when you lean over it."

Aren snorted. "I think it tastes better that way."

"Gross. Look," Makoto sat down next to him, leaning in close, "I think it will look really cool, and with the whole stubble thing you've got going on, it will be very blacksmith."

"Blacksmith? What are you even talking about?"

"I'll make you a deal." she said, one arm casually over the back of the couch, "You let me braid you hair, keep it like that all day, and we'll do something fun."

Aren's eyes narrowed. "How fun?"

"Trust me."

After a twenty second staring contest, Aren sighed. "Fine, go for it."

A surprisingly girlish sound came out of Makoto's mouth as she ran to grab a brush and a hair tie, and within five minutes she had Aren's hair neatly braided back and secured with a simple black band.

"Done!" she said, smiling triumphantly.

Aren shook his head from side to side, reaching back to feel the braid which ended just below his shoulder blades.

"Huh," he said, surprised, "Its pretty comfortable. Its been a long time since I had peripheral vision. Now," he turned around and grinned at Makoto. "What are we going to do that's so fun?"

"Well..." she said, standing up, "There is a really cool construction site that I know is currently abandoned. Want to sneak in with me?"

Aren jumped up and grabbed his shoes.

"Yes! Lets do it!"

The two carefully evaded a police officer, a woman with three dogs, and a UPS delivery guy, all who happened to be walking by the construction site when they arrived. When they were finally fairly certain they had no eyes on them, they opened the slightly creaky door at the back of the site and slipped inside.

"Wow..." Aren nodded his appreciation at the shell of a building filled with scaffolding, ladders, and stacks of building material. He jumped and grabbed onto one of the platforms to pull himself up, and then started an obstacle course around the room. Makoto followed close behind, her years of training paying off as they made their way higher. She easily kept pace with Aren who, admittedly, had an advantage in upper body strength, by using her legs to propel herself upwards rather than relying on her arms to pull herself to the next platform.

Finally they reached the top-most safe bit of scaffolding, which ran up next to the empty frame of a window. Makoto leaned out the window, letting the breeze cool her skin which had begun to bead with sweat. Aren laughed and snatched her back from the opening, spinning around a couple of times before settling her back against the wall.

"You are awesome." he said, before leaning down to kiss her soundly.

Makoto smiled against his lips and wrapped her arms more securely around his neck.

"You're pretty awesome yourself. Took you long enough."

"What can I say? Your skin is all shiny and you smell like wooddust and its super sexy."

Aren looked supremely triumphant, and Makoto had to roll her eyes.

"Wooddust? Sheesh, kiss me again before I pretend to get offended." She said, laughing.

"Yes ma'am!"


	19. Leader: In Formal Wear

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* * *

"Mina, are you sure the invite includes me as well?" Saif fiddled with his tie as he balanced his new cell phone on his shoulder. A good-natured sigh filtered through the speaker.

"Yes, dear." the girl on the other end said, "These things are always plus one. I know you're not afraid of parties, we went to lots back in the day."

Saif 'hmphed' lightly. "That's true, but I always had a job to do."

"Oh really? I thought you were just there to see me."

He could tell she was smirking on the other end, probably sitting in front of her vanity, making faces at the mirror in lieu of his face.

"Yes, of course, your majesty. I wasn't there at all to make sure Endymion didn't sneak into some side room with your princess."

"In any case, we'll be there to pick you up in half an hour." Minako explained. "Will that be enough time to get ready?"

Nodding, even though he knew she couldn't see it, Saif opened his bedroom closet.

"That should be fine."

"Alright then! See you soon! Love you!"

"Love y-" Minako had already hung up.

Saif sighed. It wasn't that he minded parties in particular, it had just been a while and he wasn't sure if the social etiquette was similar enough to the old kingdom's that he wouldn't offend several people in the room. Still, he trusted Mina wouldn't let him do anything inappropriate and she, at least, had lots of experience.

Apparently the music industry had several of these sorts of events every year, and idols who wanted to remain in the public view had to attend a certain number. It seemed to be mostly about having one's picture taken in a well-fitting outfit, and Saif was hoping they wouldn't have to stay much longer than that.

He pulled out the tuxedo jacket and brushed it off, like Mina had instructed, before slipping it on. It fit well, though for a moment Saif wished he was back in his old dress uniform with a cape that could hide any necessary weapons. Surely no dark forces would be attacking a music gala, but old habits were uncomfortable to break and recently he had been wondering about the extent of he and the others' powers. When they had first been Endymion's generals they only had mild magical abilities at best, and those had intensified under Metallia's power. Out of some sort of fear mixed with relief, none of them had attempted to use them since they resurrected, preferring only to spar with physical weapons when they felt it was necessary. However, recently Saif began to see the wisdom in knowing, even in peace time, exactly what they were capable of.

A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought, and he quickly tied his shoes before going to answer the door. He had barely opened it before Minako was leaping in for a hug and proclaiming, "You look amazing!"

"Thank you." He glanced down at Minako's dress and smiled. Strapless dark blue silk with gold embroidery hugged her curves and flared out at the knee, and she had tied her hair up in a romantic, messy bun. "You are going to make the other women there angry, you know."

Minako shrugged, clearly pleased.

"Well, then they should have gotten a Valentino as well."

They made their way down stairs and out to the waiting limousine, and once seated, Minako hooked her arm in Saif's and gave him a comforting squeeze.

"Don't worry about anything, ok? You're way classier than most of the people who will be there."

A breathy laugh, mostly relief, escaped Saif at the vote of confidence.

"Anyway," she said, "Who is to say we can't escape into a side room ourselves if the crowds get too annoying?


	20. Leader: Dancing

**Thank you everyone for your continued support! ^_^ Please don't forget to go to my profile and vote for the pairing you want to see in the last drabble.**

* * *

"Are you ready?" Minako gave Saif's hand a squeeze as they approached the entrance of the hotel which was hosting the event.

Saif nodded, trying not to look too uncomfortable as their driver opened the door on his side. He ignored the crowds and press as he exited the vehicle, holding a hand out to Minako who took it and stepped out gracefully, immediately slipping into her idol role as she flashed the cameras a bright smile and struck a pose. One last comforting squeeze, and they were walking into the hotel, arm in arm, towards the ballroom.

A strange combination of decorations adorned the room the event coordinators had chosen. Along side the hotel's typical neo-classical elements were tall boards with brand names imprinted on them and baskets filled with expensive gift bags. Saif leaned in towards Minako as they walked.

"What is all this?"

Minako shrugged. "Its all advertising, basically. They want us to buy lots of stuff and be seen using it."

That elicited a frown from Saif which Minako quickly moved to dismiss by saying, "Don't worry, I don't let those guys determine what I wear. If its cute, I don't care if its from the bargain bin."

"Clearly," Saif replied with a teasing smile. "I've seen the size of your closet, and the only way someone could have that many clothes is if they in fact bought everything."

Minako was about to stick her tongue out at him, but they reached their assigned table, which was already full of other couples from her label.

"Mina!" a middle aged woman in a sophisticated dress exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in a month, what have you been up to?"

Saif paid half-attention to the high spirited conversation that followed, while he surveyed the room in his normal fashion. Three exits. Doors open out. Nine guards pretending to be waiters.

"Hey, my name is Ron, what brings you here?" the man to his left asked, after taking a swig of red wine.

"Saif. Nice to meet you. I'm here at Minako's request." Saif answered, nodding slightly.

"Oh?" Ron looked intrigued. "What do you do?"

"Actually I'm...in between jobs right now."

The man narrowed his eyes at Saif and then nodded knowingly. "Ah, I gotcha." he said. "You work for the government, I can tell."

"No, that's-"

"Saif?" Minako laid a hand gently on his arm. "Would you like to dance?"

Recognizing an out when he saw one, Saif nodded and stood, guiding Minako away from the tables and out to the floor.

"Thank you." He said, as they started to drift with the music.

Minako shrugged, smiling.

"I hate those sort of conversations, the ones where people either size you up or try to read you, its annoying."

After a few silent moments, Saif sighed.

"Does it bother you that I don't have an interesting job I can talk about?"

An almost-snort escaped from Minako as she leaned her head against Saif's collar.

"Are you serious? You're the leader of the guardians of the King of the Earth. What job is cooler than that?"

Minako felt, rather than saw, Saif's smile and amused breath against the top of her head.

"Perhaps being the leader of the guardians of the Queen of the Solar System?"

"Well, of course that's right, but I don't think you'd look very well in a short orange skirt."

A few of the other couples on the dance floor gave Saif and Minako strange looks as they tried, and failed, to stifle their laughter over the slow music.

"Well!" Minako said as they stopped dancing, "I think I've had enough of this stuffy place, lets get out of here!"

"Absolutely."


	21. Strength: Cooking or Baking

After aproximately 10 minutes of beating egg whites, Aren thought his arm would fall off, and he had only just gotten the frothy mixture to start peaking.

"Mako, are you sure this part is necessay?" He asked, wearily.

Makoto turned her head, keeping one eye on the creme she was stirring, and made a face at him.

"Come on, where's that legendary arm strength?" she asked, with a grin.

Aren rolled his eyes. "There's arm strength, and then there's being required to be a machine."

Ignoring him with a laugh, Makoto returned to her stirring, leaning down to smell the thickening creme. "Mmm..."

For a couple of minutes, the only sounds in the kitchen were a wisk against glass, and the light hiss of the gas stove. Then, Makoto turned off the heat and began pouring the sweet mixture into several dishes.

"Oh, did I tell you my plan?" She asked, turning back to Aren, who seemed to have gotten a second wind from the way his merengue finally started looking solid.

He shook his head, clearly focused. Makoto went to the refigerator and took out a basket of already-washed berries and sliced fruit, setting it on the counter.

"I'm going to research food from the old kingdom and see if I can recreate it, and then we'll have a big party and it'll be like..."

Aren stopped whisking and set the bowl down, grabbing a lightly greased cookie sheet and a spoon from the supply shelf.

"It'll be like before, but better?" The look on his face was hard to read, and Makoto immediately felt guilty.

"No, no!" She said, "I didn't mean that, I meant it'll be like we're in all times at once, like, everything is finally unified."

She watched as Aren took a deep breath and then smiled. He walked over to the island where Makoto stood, and leaned down to give her a tight hug.

"I know, Mako, I know you didn't mean anything by it. I just have a hard time believing that you've forgiven me."

"Oh come on, its been over a year since you got back." Makoto said, punching him lightly in the chest. "Don't you think I'd have beaten you up by now if I wanted to?"

"That's probably true." he conceded.

"Besides, before he summoned you all back, Mamoru sat us down and explained everything. He told us about the political climate, the pressures everyone was under. He said he completely understood if we still didn't want to see any of you, but that he was going to give you a shot."

Aren's eyes widened. "Really? That squirt has gotten a little wiser over the years. Who'd have thought?"

"Exactly, so don't you ever think that I want to send you back or make you miserable over the past, ok? Or else I really will Jupiter Oak Evolution you into the next apartment building."

Makoto struck a fierce pose which had Aren grabbing on to the refrigerator in order to keep from falling over laughing.

"Alright," she said, trying to keep from laughing herself, "Hurry up and get that merengue in the oven. Everyone is going to be over soon and if Usagi doesn't get her birthday desserts she is going to cry all day."


	22. Clever: SideBySide in Battle

Schuler paced back and forth in front of the classroom door as other students began filing in. He knew Ami would be there, and the class didn't start for another ten minutes, but it was in his nature to be anxious. For their first major project in Humanities 101, Schuler's professor had assigned debates. The class divided into six teams and each pair of teams had a week to design an argument to be presented before their peers. They were also allowed to recruit one upperclassman to help, the idea being that the older students would help the freshmen to open up and be more confident. Schuler had, naturally, convinced his teammates to invite Ami, a reasonable choice given her interest in the subject. He didn't really need the confidence boost, but he didn't think the professor would appreciate it if he explained that he had years of experience debating in the halls of the old castle. Besides, any excuse to spend more time with Ami was a welcome one.

Finally a head of blue hair appeared in the thinning crowds. Ami ran up, slightly out of breath, and gave Schuler a quick hug.

"I'm sorry I've cut it so close! One of my experiments decided to make a small mess at the last minute."

Schuler smiled and motioned towards the classroom door.

"You're just in time. Shall we?"

The other students had already arranged the desks into a circle, as the professor considered it more conducive to conversation. Placing a hand lightly on Ami's back as she sat down, Schuler couldn't help feeling a little smug. Some of his classmates had started murmuring when Ami walked in, clearly recognizing her from her academic triumphs, and a couple of them displayed clear signs of jealousy. 'Too bad' he thought as he arranged his debate materials.

The professor, who had been writing the names of the team members of the white board, perched herself on the front of her desk with a smile.

"Alright! No ado, teams C and D, lets get to the debate!"

Team C, whose upperclass recruit was one of the member's cousins from the History department, stood.

"We would like to suggest that the developments in the medical arts during the mid-to-late 1800s was a direct result of military conflicts and would not have taken place so quickly without them." explained a tiny girl who had been designated head-speaker.

The team made a compelling argument, basically outlining the gruesome war injuries created by new weapons that necessitated a hasty development of new medical techniques.

In return, team D consisting of Schuler, Ami, a tennis player, and an engineering major, argued that the interest in medical development had begun long before the wars. Universities started focusing more on the sciences, deism having gained a more significant hold on the public conscious and having lessened many religious inhibitions to that kind of study.

"Also," Schuler added, when their main speaker had finished, "The new relative ease of travel to far off places meant that health professionals could exchange ideas and begin to create a more comprehensive understanding of the human body."

Aside from a couple of nervous stumbles, Schuler thought his team did very well, and he couldn't help but bask in the impressed look Ami gave him when he presented his part of the argument.

It ended up being a very calm debate though, as the question and answer session revealed that both teams agreed that the other's argument contributed just as much to the rise in medical technology. The professor was a little disappointed at the lack of fire, but she had to admit that all participants thoroughly fulfilled the requirements of the assignment.

Afterwards, when they had retreated out to the quad, Ami squeaked uncharacteristically and practically jumped into Schuler's arms.

"You did so well!" she said, excitedly, "You're so good at academic presentations!"

Schuler cleared his throat in an effort to get the blood flowing normally through his face.

"Ami, if I didn't know better, I'd say you only loved me for my brains."

It was just an illusion, but Schuler could have sworn the entire yard went quiet for a moment as he waited for the effect his words would have.

Quiet...

And then finally, though it had only been seconds, when he was about to make light of it, Ami smiled at him.

"I think you've got it about right, except for one thing." she said, voice surprisingly steady.

"Oh?"

"I love lots of other things about you too."

Schuler laughed, relieved. "Please list them for me some time, but right now, if you don't mind terribly, I'm going to kiss you."

"I wouldn't mind that at all."

And so he did.


	23. Airplane: Arguing

**Thank you everyone for your continued support! ^_^ Please don't forget to go to my profile and vote for the pairing you want to see in the last drabble.**

* * *

"Rei, you know I won't live forever. I have to choose a successor and you... are not ready yet."

Rei didn't even bow as the stood up angrily and fled her grandfather's presence. She ran out to the old magnolia tree that grew outside her window and sat down heavily against its gnarled trunk. Despite her efforts to steady her breathing and calm her heart rate, Rei found that tears were quickly springing to her eyes. So, she sat there until the wind dried her face and the sound of leaves rolling against the ground was her only company.

Some time later, Rei wasn't sure how long, a stick cracked behind her

"Yusheng, now is not a good time." she said, without looking back, and pretending her voice was stronger than it came out.

"I know. That's why I'm here."

Yusheng sat down against the opposite side of the tree and waited.

Finally Rei let out a frustrated sigh and stood up.

"This system is so backwards I can't believe it! I've worked at this temple practically my whole life, and he just wants to pick some random guy to be the next head priest! He says I'm 'not ready' but I know what he really means!"

"I agree, it doesn't make any sense. So change it." Yusheng said, watching as Rei paced.

"What?" Rei said, stopping suddenly and glaring at him. "How do you propose I do that?"

He stood and folded his arms.

"We're about to remake the world, Rei, we can change whatever we want."

"But we can't just-"

With an exasperated sigh, Yusheng shook his head.

"Can't just what? An entire planet was ruled by a woman, surely these old men can get used to women running shrines. Are you even listening to yourself? You just said it doesn't make any sense, so why aren't you jumping on this opportunity?" he paused, and then raised a finger. "Ah ha, you're afraid."

"What?!" Rei approached him close and leaned up threateningly.

"You heard me. You're afraid of taking responsibility for this. Hey," he shrugged, "You could always just get married and let your husband take over like they usually do."

Shoving him back against the tree, Rei scowled.

"I would _never _get married just so I can keep the job I have worked for my whole life!"

"Yeah, you don't seem like the 'getting married' type."

"Glad you've got that figured out, Jadeite."

Something almost like hurt flashed in Yusheng's eyes as he pushed past Rei and headed towards the shrine exit, but before he started down the stairs, he turned around.

"Rei, I get it, ok? But I don't want to see you lose this place either. Just, do whatever you need to do, and I'll help."

Rei's eyes widened as she watched him walk down the stairs, and she put her hand against the tree to steady herself. She ran to the top of the stairs and pointed her finger at his retreating back.

"Yusheng, that had better not have been what I think it was!"

Yusheng laughed loudly but didn't turn around as he called out, "Like I said, Rei, you can be my shadow government anytime, just let me know."

Sitting down heavily on the top stair, Rei covered her face with her hands and tried unsuccessfully to stifle her own laughter.


	24. Leader: Making Up Afterwards

The harsh 'clak clak' of stiletto heels echoed through the Crown Arcade as Aino Minako made her way to her friends' table. They looked up, Haruka waving casually with the hand that wasn't resting on Michiru's shoulder, and Usagi crawling over Makoto so she could give Minako a tight hug.

Minako flipped her hair over her shoulder and sat down.

"Its so nice to be around people who understand me!" she said, throwing her purse on the table.

The others exchanged curious glances.

"What happened, Mina?" Makoto asked as soon as Usagi had clumsily made her way back to her seat.

"Men don't understand womens' dreams, that's what!"

A chorus of "yes, that's true" and "what else is new" made its way around the table as the other senshi nodded their agreement.

"Ok, so get this," Minako continued, "I was wondering out loud about whether or not I'd still get to be an idol in Crystal Tokyo cause, you know, I complain about it but I really do enjoy it most of the time. Then Saif goes 'Oh, won't you be busy with your _proper_ job?'"

"Oh dear... that wasn't very tactful of him." Michiru said, patting her hand.

"Right? Minako folded her arms and sat back with a 'hmph'. "Whatever, I'm not talking to him today."

Haruka glanced around the table where the others exhibited a variety of expressions from understanding to confused. She leaned forward and poked Minako's forehead, causing the other girl to blink quickly at her.

"Mina, haven't you been saying that you're looking forward to getting your role back as leader of the guardians?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"And Saif is a good listener, if the long rambling descriptions you've graced my phone with are any indication." Haruka smirked at the pink that threatened to flood the other girl's face. "So wouldn't he naturally say something like that? He probably thought he was being supportive."

Minako slumped over on to Makoto's arm.

"You're right." She mumbled against her sleeve. "That's not fair."

"Well wait a moment though," Michiru said, raising an eyebrow at her companion. "Whether Mina has been talking about that or not, there's no reason to act as if the arts aren't a 'proper job'."

"Michiru, I- you know I wasn't agreeing with that part..."

While everyone had a good laugh at Haruka's expense, the door to the arcade opened again and in walked Mamoru, followed by a stoic and yet dejected looking Saif. Usagi squealed happily and waved.

"Mamoooo! We're over here!"

Minako looked up from Makoto's arm and smiled when she saw Saif standing awkwardly in the middle of the arcade. She walked over, and before he could say anything, hugged him tightly around the middle.

"Baby, don't even worry about it, ok? I overreacted, I know you're just excited about us working together and stuff, right?" she said.

Saif laughed lightly and kissed the top of her head.

"That's true, I am looking forward to that, but I shouldn't have assumed that your other activities wouldn't be important to you anymore. I apologize for being careless."

"I'm sorry too, for running out like a five-year old."

Haruka shook her head as they watched the two talk it over on the other side of the room. Michiru patted her arm.

"Its good, isn't it? That these are the sorts of things we argue about these days?"

"Yeah, yeah it is."


	25. Airplane: Gazing Into Eachothers Eyes

They sat on opposite sides of the room, kneeling on soft woven mats that covered the shrine floors, each working on their own project. Rei tucked thin pieces of wood into embroidered fabric pouches, and Yusheng folded thick white paper into lightning bolt shapes. All afternoon they had been working on various shrine mainentance, and a strange peace that Rei wasn't used to had begun to settle over the whole area.

At some point, Rei noticed the rustling of paper had stopped. She looked up to see Yusheng sitting in a meditative pose, eyes closed, and smiling quietly. Not wanting to disturb him, and realizing how perfect the environment was for it, Rei also assumed a comfortable sitting position and closed her eyes. For a few moments she focused on her breathing, slow and deep, as she willed her consciousness inwards.

The first thing she noticed was the sensation of floating. It felt as if she lifted out of her body, not unlike the feeling at the top of a roller coaster, and with a slight tug, she was free of her feet. Rei opened her spiritual eyes and looked around. She stood at the end of a white marble corridor which she recognized from the old kingdom, and the sunlight bounced off of the walls the way it had that day.

Manto, princess of Mars, was supposed to be joining her Princess in the official reception line for Prince Endymion and his men. Her father had instructed her to wear a certain dress, certain shoes, do her hair a certain way, but of course she had completely ignored him. The women of Mars were no delicate flowers to be dressed up and paraded in front of men, they were warriors and spiritual leaders, and even at eleven Manto demanded that she be recognized for that. So, she had donned the deep red robes of the priestesses and stood proudly on Serenity's right side.

When the steward announced Endymion, and the doors opened, Manto was a little surprised to see a skinny dark-haired boy, maybe fourteen, step assuredly into the room. He bowed deeply to Serenity who was clearly already star-struck, and his men followed suit. One of them, one of the youngest, with curly blond hair and bright blue eyes, surveyed the occupants of the room as he stood up. He was so subtle about it that Manto was sure she was the only one who noticed.

That Jadeite, as he was known in the court, fascinated Manto more than the others. While Endymion's other men sized up a situation by identifying exits and hidden weapons, he seemed to look inside people for the actions they would take. It was a technique whose validity Manto admitted, though the ease with which he practiced it made her uncomfortable.

It wasn't until a year later that they had any real contact other than polite conversation, when the situation between their charges became an interplanetary secret. Sent to escort their prince and princess back home, they ran into each other just outside the garden Endymion and Serenity most often frequented. Manto was about to walk straight over and interrupt them, but Jadeite held her back with a gentle grasp of the hand. Even then she wasn't sure why she listened, but he told her about how happy the prince had been lately, and how normal that made everything seem, and she had to agree that the same was true about Serenity. They allowed the lovers a few more minutes of whispered promises, and then Manto's fingers slipped from Jadeite's as she called out to Serenity quietly.

Aprodea had once told Manto, astonished, on a night when the girls lay huddled together to gossip and braid hair and ignore the war that was brewing, that she could see the string of her fate in love. Manto nodded with a sad smile, explaining that she knew where her string led and the exact moment it had been tied, but that it was not within her power to untangle all of the knots.

The last time she saw him was on the battlefield. He was slumped against a broken column, burns spotting his face and chest and bleeding freely from a long gash on his leg. His eyes were closed tightly against the pain and he held something red that flickered in his shaking hands.

Rei grounded herself slowly. Several hours had passed since she began meditating and walking in the past, and a slight chill filtered in through the cracked windows. She blinked to clear the fog and saw bright blue eyes making the same motion across the room. Yusheng smiled, shifting slightly to ease his limbs, but not breaking eye-contact. Bamboo outside creaked and whispered in the breeze as they sat, and even though the illusion was long gone, Rei could still see him in his white uniform while the red quartered symbol of earth shone brightly on his forehead.


	26. Strength: Getting Married

Makoto quickly sorted through the last dress rack in the small clothing store a couple of blocks from her apartment. "Too short... too boring..." Finally she spotted a green cotton dress that was a little summery, a little boho, and she grabbed it, heading straight for the changing room.

"It fits! Good!" she said, with a sigh of relief.

She tied her hair up loosely, stuck a flower behind her ear, and ran up to the counter. The employee gave her a confused look as she excitedly started looking through her purse.

"Um..." she asked, "Can I help you find a different size?"

"No, no," Makoto said, handing her a card, "I'd like to buy this and wear it out, if that's ok. Here." she turned so the employee could scan the bar code on the dress's tag.

With an amused look, the store employee scanned the dress, ran the payment, and then waved as Makoto practically sprinted out on to the sidewalk.

Pulling out her cell phone, Makoto dodged a couple of bicyclists as she made her way down the street.

"Rei? I'm on my way, I'll be there in ten minutes!"

She heard laughter from the other end. "Mako, why are you running? Its not like we can start without you, and this whole thing is sort of last-minute."

"Ah, well. That's true. Anyway, is everyone there?" she asked, not slowing down.

Rei must have held the phone out because the next thing Makoto heard was a chorus of voices shouting, "Hi Makooooo!" She laughed happily, and called out, "Hi guys!" before hanging up and stowing her phone back in her purse.

Approximately seven minutes later, she was at the top of the stairs to Hikawa Shrine, breathing hard and fixing the flower that had almost fallen out of her hair. Usagi and Minako, who must have been waiting by the door, ran over to grab her arms and pull her towards the building.

"Come on!" Usagi said, excitedly, "Aren just got here too!"

"I still can't believe you convinced him to braid his hair." Minako added.

They slid open the main shrine doors to find everyone standing around waiting eagerly as Rei tended the fire and Mamoru glanced over a hastily torn piece of notebook paper. Usagi and Minako took their places as Makoto stepped inside. Standing to Mamoru's right, Aren shifted nervously on his feet in the rumpled linen suit he had found in his closet. He turned when the door opened and, smiling brightly, would have run right over if Mamoru hadn't put a hand on his shoulder and told him to wait.

When Makoto reached his side, he grasped her hand tightly and they turned to Mamoru, who slipped the paper into his pocket and smiled.

"I'd like to welcome everyone to the crazy elopement of Makoto and Aren. All of their friends are gathered here, so lets begin!"

To be honest, the next ten minutes were sort of a blur to Makoto. When they had woken up that morning full of an energy they were surprised they had, Aren had said, "Lets just do it, lets get married. Do you want a big ceremony?" Makoto laughed and kissed him and said that as long as the people she loved were there, she was happy. So, they spent the next two hours calling everyone, arranging a time, and gathering supplies. Rei had volunteered the use of the shrine hall, and Aren had convinced Mamoru that he ought to be the one who married them since he was the king after all. When it came down to it, and they were standing in the middle of the hall listening to Mamoru talk about love and what it meant, all Makoto could see was Aren. They earned a laugh from the others when Mamoru had to tap them each on the shoulder to let them know he was about to make the pronouncement.

"Makoto, do you take Aren to be your husband in this world and the next?"

"I do."

"And Aren, do you take Makoto to be your wife even as cities fall and rise again?"

"Absolutely."

"Then by the powers that everyone tells me I have, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may-"

Makoto pulled Aren down and kissed him soundly, to the cheers of everyone in the room, and then hugged her friends tightly when they came bouncing up to congratulate them. She threw the bouquet, a bunch of assorted flowers Usagi had taken from her mother's garden, and it was narrowly saved from the shrine fire by Rei. Blushing furiously, Rei threw it at a very smug looking Yusheng.

"Alright!" Minako exclaimed as soon as everyone had settled down, "Party at my place!


	27. Clever: On One of Their Birthdays

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for continuing to read this story and support me! ^_^ If you're curious about the last chapter, which should come out on Wednesday, please go to my profile and vote. As of today, its a tie!**

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As the halls of the university emptied, Ami made her way to the library to return a book on the life cycle of Tardigrades. Capable of surviving in the most extreme environments, they had given her several ideas on how to build bunkers underneath Crystal Tokyo in the event of an emergency. She handed the book to the librarian on staff, who scanned it with a smile and thanked her, and just as she was headed back down the steps to the quad, her phone beeped.

Ami flipped it open and accessed the message.

_Schuler: How come you didn't tell me the dinner at Mako's tonight was for your birthday_?  
_Ami: Oh, I never make a big fuss about it.  
Schuler: Well I'm going to make a slight fuss about it. Don't try and stop me.  
Ami: No, you really don't have to..._

She got no response. Shaking her head with a smile, Ami headed to her last class of the day.

Just after five she reached her apartment to find a note taped to the door which read:

_I thought about just mysteriously leaving you a present, but I know how you senshi are about mysterious things and men breaking into your apartment, so I left a note just in case. - S_

Unlocking the door cautiously, just in case the "present" was a giant surprise party or something that took up space in the hallway, Ami slipped inside. Another note was taped to the light switch just inside.

_Really? You thought I was the shock and awe type? - S_

Ami laughed brightly as she took the note down and added it to the other one. She took off her shoes and continued into the living room where a third note was resting on top of a small box. Sitting down on the couch, she picked both up. The box, made of a light brown wood, was carved with flowers and geometric designs, and opened to reveal a delicate silver chain with a pearl and sapphire pendant. The third note said:

_I hope I interpreted your style correctly. Don't you dare say "its too much" or something related to that. I am perfectly capable of making birthday present decisions regarding the woman I love. Now, I believe you have a birthday dinner to attend. I'll see you there. - S_

Excited, Ami ran to her room and changed into a floaty light blue party dress and black flats to compliment the pendant which now sat comfortably just below her collar bone.

Ami took the next bus to Makoto's neighborhood, catching up with Minako and Saif just as they were getting on the elevator to the 17th floor. After an appraising look, Minako gave her a thumbs up and a laugh, and she dragged her into the apartment. Everyone cheered when Ami entered, causing her to flush slightly, like always. And like always, Makoto came to her rescue by demanding that everyone come and enjoy birthday food before it got cold.

Schuler, who had been gathering drinks from the kitchen, walked out and smiled when he saw that she was wearing the necklace.

"Are you sure you like it?" He asked, after a hello kiss and hug.

"Its beautiful." Ami said, reaching a hand up to touch the pendant for the eighth time since she put it on. "I didn't think I'd be one for jewelry, but if its from you, I think I could wear it everyday."

Proud look only mostly hidden, Schuler motioned to the table, and they joined their friends for a very pleasant birthday dinner.


	28. Airplane: Doing Something Ridiculous

"What an interesting choice!"  
"Yes, pairing the woman's classic beauty with the man's mismatched exoticism, Aino clearly knows what she's doing."

Rei couldn't help but feel annoyed, and slightly uncomfortable, with the conversations that floated her way as the crew of the photo shoot milled around setting up. She couldn't really blame anyone other than herself, though, for agreeing to be one of Minako's models for her debut clothing line. Why Yusheng also agreed, was a complete mystery.

As she sat under bright lights in one corner of the studio a colorful man in his thirties, who clearly knew his craft, applied just enough makeup to her face to even her out without making her look like she tried too hard. Yusheng sat a few feet to her left and seemed to be undergoing the same process, administered by an attractive brunette. It didn't bother her, mostly.

Luckily, Minako chose that minute to sweep into the room and start declaring that it was time for the shoot. She ran over to Rei and Yusheng, jumping up and down with excitement as she appraised them.

"You guys look so good! Man, I am not bad at this, am I?"

Rei rolled her eyes, well used to Minako's ego, while Yusheng leaned in conspiratorially.

"You know," he said, looking around, "You're going to have to compete with Schuler in the fashion houses of Crystal Tokyo."

Minako stepped back, mock horror crossing her face. "Absolutely not! I will not be defeated by the likes of him! Lets go!" With that, she and her lead photographer started discussing colors and angles at the speed of light, and Rei and Yusheng were led onto the set.

The theme Minako had chosen for her debut was "Not Letting Work Make You Boring". Her goal was to design office clothes that were as colorful and exciting as they could be without being technically out of bounds, and the motif for the photo shoot was ultra modern office furniture with models being lazy all over them.

Thus, Rei suffered through two and a half hours of being posed on top of chairs and tables in positions that no one really used when they were being lazy, while Yusheng sprawled out on the ground, pretended to sleep on a briefcase, and was "crushed" under stacks of paperwork.

When they were done, Minako squealed and gave everyone hugs as she congratulated them. Rei glanced at Yusheng as he fidgeted with his bright blue jacket.

"What, not cut out to be a male model?" she asked, teasing in her eyes.

Yusheng deadpanned. "My back hurts and I can't feel my face under the makeup."

"Oh?" Rei stepped in close to him and adjusted his lapels. "I thought you looked pretty good up there. And more importantly, thank you for not letting me do this by myself."

Grinning, Yusheng shrugged. "I'm not even going to act like it was completely out of the goodness of my heart. Mina showed me some of the designs, and when I saw how short some of your skirts were going to be, I couldn't say no."

"Figures."


	29. Leader: Doing Something Sweet

**Thank you again everyone! ^_^ Because of your support I have faithfully "kept it coming", writing a drabble a day! Tomorrow is the last one, and so today is the last day to vote on the pairing. ^_^ (Just in case, let me warn everyone the prompt is "Doing Something Hot". I won't make it X-rated or anything, but if anyone is uncomforable with intimate situations, you might want to avoid tomorrows.)**

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Minako huddled under the black umbrella, tucking herself under Saif's arm as they walked down the street in the rain. It was that annoying sort of drizzle where its not light enough to be refreshing and not heavy enough to justify staying inside all day to drink hot chocolate and cuddle. Luckily Saif made a very effective shield, and no amount of rain ever seemed to bother him. He explained to her once that it was because the place he grew up could be very dry at times, such that even years later the different kinds of rain were fascinating to him.

"What do you think about children?"

A splash as Minako stepped, caught off guard into a puddle, soaked their shoes, and they stopped walking. Saif's normally calm face betrayed a hint of regret and Minako looked up at him, wide-eyed.

"Um..." she stammered, "I don't know, I mean, I didn't know if I'd ever have time, so I haven't really thought about it. We have, I mean, I have a job, right, not that you don't, but were you asking about me or us?"

Saif tried, valiantly, to process her jumbled words. "You know, I'm always fairly graceful when you bring up some sort of commitment-centered idea in regards to our relationship. This is a little unfair."

Minako sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It is a perfectly reasonable question to ask when you've been dating for like, a year and a half. Honestly though, I was never sure if we'd have time, you know? I don't want my children to only see their parents every now and then, or to be in danger."

"That's a very responsible answer." Saif said, as they resumed walking. "So then I take it you're not emotionally adverse to the idea of children with me?"

"Of course not!" She exclaimed, squeezing Saif's arm. "If I was going to have children with anyone, it would definitely be you."

She took his silence to be encouraging, and they settled back into it as they passed various shops and restaurants. As they rounded a corner, though, something caught Minako's eye; a clothing store with child mannequins in the front window, dressed in Halloween costumes. Before she knew it, she was slowing down and approaching the window to gaze inside.

"If we had a daughter, I would hope she had your color hair." Minako turned around to smile at Saif. "Can you imagine? A princess with silver hair... she would be like a fairy!"

"That's unlikely." Saif said, kissing the top of her head. "I'm almost certain all of my traits are recessive. Besides, gold is much better for a princess."

Minako stuck her tongue out at him and grabbed his hand. "Come on, lets look inside! We can pretend we're shopping for our children."

"Are you sure?" Saif asked as she dragged him into the brightly colored store.

"Absolutely. After all, we're going to live for like, a thousand years I bet, so we'll have plenty of time to take a break from work to have kids if we want, right?"

"Elysion help me, a thousand years..." He said, with a smile, as Minako cooed over tiny dresses and shoes.


	30. Clever: Doing Something Hot

**Its finished! XDD Thank you everyone for reading these everyday and giving me such nice reviews! Now, as decided by the poll, is Ami and Schuler's "Doing Something Hot" drabble. I apologize to everyone who is expecting something really steamy, but I never know what thinks about sexy things these days... anyway, feel free to imagine what happens after the last line! ;)**

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Ami looked up from her computer at the soft rustling sound of fabric covering her kitchen table. Cornflower blue silk that shone silver when the light hit it was being carefully laid out and scrutinized by Schuler, and Ami quirked an eyebrow, feeling a little guilty.

"You don't have to make that dress for me now, you know. We still have plenty of time." she said, closing her laptop.

Schuler replied with his signature 'what in the world are you talking about' glance, and turned back to the fabric.

"I'm on a mission. Do not try and stifle my fun. Besides, we're raising the city in less than six months, I won't have time for my hobbies for at least a little while after that." he said, as he began making light marks on the back of the cloth.

Ami nodded and took a seat nearer to the table. She watched as he skillfully outlined the shapes needed for the dress based on the measurements he had taken of her the day before, and then cut them out with scissors that came in their own metal case. She had laughed when he bought them, wondering why there were specialty scissors for fabric, but quickly amended her opinion when she considered how difficult dissections would be with a butter knife.

As Schuler cut the last of the pieces, he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ami asked, now thoroughly interested in the process.

"Nothing really," he replied, "Its just slightly annoying to do the initial shaping without my mannequin." Resigned, he folded and stowed away the excess fabric and began pinning.

Standing up and looking over the pieces, Ami smiled. "I could be the mannequin. Its for me in the end anyway, so won't that eliminate some redundant steps?"

Schuler shook his head. "Only in a way, and I'm absolutely not going to make you stand there for an hour with sharp pins-"

He almost stuck his finger with one of those pins as Ami had already stripped down to her argyle bra and was working on the zipper to her pants.

"Come on," Ami said, with a laugh, as she pushed her pants to the side with her foot and reached behind her, "I'm helping whether you like it or not. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but this dress has a low back, right?"

"That's correct." Schuler replied, somewhat stiffly.

"Not that I have the same sorts of problems Makoto has." she added mournfully as the bra joined the rest of her clothes on the floor.

Schuler narrowed his eyes at her as she smiled playfully. "I'm not sure I can work in these conditions, madam."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

He took a steadying breath and then carefully began pinning the fabric pieces around her body, every so often asking her to hold the fabric, lift her arms, or simply to hold very still so he wouldn't accidentally pin her skin. Ami realized quickly that there was a pleasant freedom in allowing Schuler to examine her angles and curves for as long as he wanted, and a very obvious appeal in a thin layer of silk being the only thing between her skin and his hands. She felt so at ease with him that at some point she closed her eyes, relaxed, and didn't realize how much time had passed until Schuler was squeezing her hand gently and telling her that he was finished.

At the not-quite-masked disappointment in his voice, Ami smiled. "Oh well, then, I don't want to mess up your work, so I suppose you'll have to undress me."

That part didn't take nearly as long.


End file.
